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A Lagrangian estimate of the Mediterranean outflow's origin.
  • +2
  • Giulia Vecchioni,
  • Paola Cessi,
  • Nadia Pinardi,
  • Louise Rousselet,
  • Francesco Trotta
Giulia Vecchioni
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Italy
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Paola Cessi
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Nadia Pinardi
University of Bologna
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Louise Rousselet
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
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Francesco Trotta
University of Bologna
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Abstract

The origin of the Mediterranean Outflow is investigated by deploying six millions virtual Lagrangian parcels at the Strait of Gibraltar, and tracing them backward in time using velocity estimates from an eddy-permitting reanalysis. The Lagrangian parcels are followed until they intercept one of three sections. The hypothesis is that each section is associated with distinct water masses: the Gulf of Lions, related to Western Mediterranean Deep Water and Western Intermediate Water, carries 86\% of the Outflow’s transport; the Northern Tyrrhenian, related to Tyrrhenian Deep and Intermediate Waters, carries 1\% of the transport; the Strait of Sicily, related to Levantine Intermediate Waters, carries 13\% of the transport. The median transit times from the sections to the Strait of Gibraltar range from 5 years (Gulf of Lions) to 8 years (Strait of Sicily).
16 Mar 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
26 Mar 2023Published in ESS Open Archive